Hand nerve palsies Flashcards
Sensory loss/pain over the thumb and lateral 2 and a half fingers
Median nerve palsy
Muscle wasting in median nerve palsy
Thenar eminence
Weakness of thumb abduction
Median nerve palsy
Which test involves percussing the carpal tunnel?
Tinel’s test
Phalen’s test
Forced flexion of the affected wrist for 60 seconds causes symptoms
Most common mechanism of median nerve palsy
Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Wasting of the hypothenar eminence
- Pain/loss of sensation over medial 1 and a half fingers
- Weak finger abduction
- Partial claw hand
Ulnar nerve palsy
Ulnar nerve palsy
- Wasting of the hypothenar eminence
- Pain/loss of sensation over medial 1 and a half fingers
- Weak finger abduction
- Partial claw hand
Mechanisms of ulnar nerve palsy (2)
Elbow trauma
Cubital tunnel syndrome
Froment’s sign
Ask patient to grip piece of paper between index finger and straight thumb; in ulnar nerve palsy the thumb flexes at the IP joint
- Wrist drop
- Pain/sensory loss over the lateral dorsum of hand
- Weakness of wrist and finger extension
Radial nerve palsy
Radial nerve palsy
- Wrist drop
- Pain/sensory loss over the lateral dorsum of hand
- Weakness of wrist and finger extension
Mechanisms of radial nerve injury (2)
Humeral shaft fracture
“Saturday night palsy”- compression of the nerve against the humerus
Injury to the upper plexus (C5-C7) caused by shoulder dystocia
Erbs palsy
Features of Erb’s palsy (2)
Sensory loss down lateral arm
Arm in “waiter’s tip” posiiton (arm internally rotated and forearm pronated)
